Soundtrack: Darkest Part by Red

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A directory of the various spirits – some you have encountered and some you have yet to meet – is provided at the end of this book for your reference.

You are welcome to say these words however you wish, but for those who'd like to learn some languages from around the world, here are a few pronunciations and translations:

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Lìog Airgid – LEEG aTAIR-gitch (Scottish Gaelic for 'silver league')

Mac Tíre – MOKH CHEED-uh (Irish Gaelic for 'wolf'; literally 'son of the land')

Nwyfre – NOO-iv-ruh (Welsh for 'sky'; a Druidic concept referring to a person's life and consciousness; 'life force'. Nwyfre's physical representation is the red dragon on the Welsh flag)

teine – CHIH-nuh (Scottish Gaelic for 'fire')

adhair – EYE-er (Scottish Gaelic for 'air'; pronounced 'ire'). Also the name of Aelshen's sword.

uisge – USH-ka (Scottish Gaelic for 'water')

talamh – TAL-uv (Scottish Gaelic for 'earth')

spiorad – SPID-ud (Scottish Gaelic for 'spirit')

dealanaich – JA-lan-eekh (Scottish Gaelic for 'lightning')

sgrios – SKDISS (Scottish Gaelic for 'destroy')

Mo chreach – MAW HD-akh (Scottish Gaelic exclamation meaning 'goodness' or 'alas'; literally 'my ruin')

Tha cuimhne agam – HA KOOEY-nuh AK-am (Scottish Gaelic for 'I remember')

ddraig – THRA-eeg (Welsh for 'dragon'). Plural ddreigiau (THRA-eeg-eeAI). Y Ddraig Goch – The Red Dragon (of Wales)

Posta Breve – POST-a bDEV-ay (Italian for 'short guard'; breve = short)

Serpiente — SER-pee-EN-tay (Spanish for 'snake' or 'serpent'); plural Serpientes (SER-pee-EN-tes)

Apu — AH-pooh (Quechua for 'superior'); Peruvian mountain spirits; plural apukuna (AH-pooh-KOO-na)

khunpa — KOON-pa (Quechua for 'friend')

Uturunku — OOH-too-ROON-koo (Quechua for 'jaguar'); a mountain in the Andes range in Peru

Yacumama — YAK-ooh-MAMA (Quechua for 'Mother of the Water')

shén — shun (Mandarin Chinese for 'god/deity/spirit'; same whether singular or plural)

Zhōng Yīn Shēn – JONG yin SHUN (Chinese for "intermediate yinbody"; refers to a spirit in a transition state between death and , which generally lasts 49 days; derived from )

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Skye Matthews

Image: Karen Gillan

Thirteen / Conall Harvey

Image: Steve Moakler

Margo Matthews

Image: Halle Berry

Aelshen Mac Tíre

Image: Tom Hardy

Xunnu of the Yáahl

Image: Rick Mora

Damian and Ace MacLarty

Images: Stephano Masciolini, Rasmus Ledin

Xera of the Yáahl

Image: Tanaya Beatty

Litu of the Naatya

Image: Gathering the Day by Susan Martin Spar

Greg Flint

Image: by Michael James O'Brien

Nessie / Yacumama

Image: Maribel Sol, Lima, Peru

Patercius / Inti

Image: Aegon the Conqueror by Magali Villeneuve

Arwyn

Image: The North Remembers by Isabel Westling

Pachacamac / Earth / Gaia / Terra / God / Mother Nature / Pangu / Nana Buluku (The Spirit of Earth)

Image: Man with Conceptual Spiritual Body Art by NejroN Photo

Nanook

Image: Deep Blue by Mark Adlington

Sen'klip

Image: Howling Coyote Pup by Wendy Kaveney

Mazu

Image: Femme Asiatique by Yuehui Tang

Yang

Image: Vampire by Zetsuai89

Palden Lhamo

Image: mystique by JesusAConde